MRBL Apartment, Yaroslavl, Russia

A professional Russian couple who have a crash pad in Moscow was looking for a main residence in Yaroslavl, Russia, a city located 250 kilometres (160 mi) northeast of Moscow.

What they found was a rather impossible 86 square-metre (926 sq.ft) apartment on the 18th floor of a building that was finished only a year ago. The maze-like apartment had five rooms of which two had no natural lighting. It was gloomy and complicated.

But it had potential and it was located in the Yaroslavl city centre, only a kilometre away from the historic centre that is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and said to be more than 1000 years old.

So they tasked Kiev, Ukraine-based architect and interior designer Artem Trigubchak with turning the sad space into their ideal home.

Both of the owners work in furniture logistics and travel frequently. They are also fans of Belgian and Japanese aesthetics, as is Trigubchak.

Their cooperation resulted in a masculine and sparse apartment where the revolver-shaped open floor plan is divided into two rooms: the living room-kitchen and the bedroom.

To let natural light into each area, the master bathroom is part of the bedroom and the guest bathroom is separated from the living room by glass blocks and light transparent curtains.

The extremely limited material palette of marble, concrete, wood and metal creates a sense of durability and permanence while being thoroughly classic in its minimalism.

We love the bathrooms’ legendary Arne Jacobsen-designed shower and taps (1968) by Vola and the marble bath/sink and concrete round sink that were custom-designed by Trigubchak.

We also like the gently curving transparent drapery behind the master-bedroom desk and around the guest bathroom as it adds beautiful lightness and softness to the otherwise stark interior. Tuija Seipell.

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